Ballston is one of Arlington’s earliest (and biggest) communities and has been a major retail center for over 50 years. Our walkable and lovable neighborhood has so many options- restaurants, coffee shops, grocery stores, universities and much more. Read on to learn more about our awesome slice of Arlington!

Ballston is a triangular-shaped community with high-rise office buildings, apartment buildings and condos, retail shops and houses. Located right on the Metro line, Ballston is just a hop, skip and a jump away from the “Big City” across the Potomac River.

The community is named after Ensign John Ball, a Revolutionary War veteran, who bought land and built a house in the community back in 1742. He built a one bedroom cabin on 166 acre plot. The home is still intact and is now maintained by the Arlington Historical Society.

Ballston is also home to the Kettler Capitals Iceplex, where the Washington Capitals practice and Ballston Quarter’s Regal Cinemas, where you can catch all the new releases this summer. Also, during the summer months (May-October) you can visit the FreshFarm Market in Welburn Square from 3-7 PM on Thursdays.

There are also five universities located within Ballston- George Washington University, Marymount University, Everest College, NOVA Community College and Virginia Tech- National Capital Region. Plenty of options for anything you may want to study!

Having such a blend of commerce, education and housing has made Ballston a unique and fun place to live. You can walk almost everywhere within our small radius and find anything you need.

We love it here and are so lucky for our community! If you’re looking to move here, you’ll be welcomed with open arms 🙂  

About Earl’s

We started Earl’s in 2005 with a sandwich-joint manifesto: We will roast our beef, pork and turkey fresh — no sliced deli meats here. Soups will be homemade, and we’ll bake cookies fresh every day. Oh, and we’ll serve breakfast sandwiches all day.

Our approach to catering is no different: We’ll bring you fresh, high-quality food at reasonable prices. We truly believe in homemade without the hassle. Contact us today for your next catering event!

Have you ever ordered catering for an office meeting? It doesn’t matter that it’s an informal get-together in the office- it can still be stressful if you let it. You wonder, what if there’s not enough food? What if there’s way too much food? How do I cater for dietary requirements? The list goes on and on…

But, you don’t have to worry about these things because we’ve got the answers! After catering hundreds of office meetings, we know what you need to know in order to have a successful event. Read on to learn 5 tips for ordering catering for your next Arlington office meeting!

Dietary Restrictions

This is a big one lately, that’s why we wanted to address it first…be sure to ask everyone who is invited (just add it to the email that goes out with the invite) to let you know if they have ANY dietary restrictions. Vegetarian and gluten free options have virtually become staples for a catering event, but that doesn’t mean you can forget nuts, dairy and certain fruits and vegetables. (Some people don’t do well with tomatoes- can you believe that?). So, just remember to ask everyone who will be attending to get an accurate picture of who needs what.

Portion Planning

One of the most common questions we get asked is, “How much food should I order”? But the answer to that question really starts with you and your event’s needs. Ask yourself – what are attendees expecting? How many people will be there?

You also need to consider the people in attendance. Men eat more than women. If your event is predominately males,  you may want to order extra portions.

Ending up with too much food isn’t great, but it’s much preferable to not having enough. Chances are, even if you do slightly over order, the food will eventually get eaten. (People love finding leftovers in the kitchen 🙂 )

Variety

Nothing excites people more than to be pleasantly surprised when working lunch options have a variety to choose from. Try not to order just one or two types of food (or sandwiches), go for different options. People like to try new and different things. Be sure to order vegetarian and gluten-free as well. (See above)

Plan ahead

You’ve got enough to worry about, you don’t need to be rushing around at the last minute trying to find a last-minute catering option for your office meeting. Reserving your order ahead of time can make it a whole lot easier on you!

Be sure to give the correct delivery information to the company when you order (and ask for a confirmation email or number) or have someone available to pick it up if that is preferable. Give them all of your contact information so there are no hiccups in the delivery process.

Budget Accordingly

Catering costs can vary across a wide range of prices. It’s useful to have a budget in mind before you order the food. Ask prices and options and let them know your budget- hopefully you can work together to come up with a price that is suitable for both.

Bonus Tip: Expect the unexpected

The reality is, no matter how hard you try, sometimes things don’t always go as planned. It’s just the reality. Try to be flexible and open minded so you don’t get overwhelmed and stressed out.

About Earl’s

We started Earl’s in 2005 with a sandwich-joint manifesto: We will roast our beef, pork and turkey fresh — no sliced deli meats here. Soups will be homemade, and we’ll bake cookies fresh every day. Oh, and we’ll serve breakfast sandwiches all day.

Our approach to catering is no different: We’ll bring you fresh, high-quality food at reasonable prices. We truly believe in homemade without the hassle. Contact us today for your next catering event!

Here at Earl’s we make the effort and pay close attention to detail to ensure an awesome sandwich experience is had by all and our roasted beef is no different…

We start with the eye of a beef roast, a cut that resembles the tenderloin, yet comes from the outer part of the round and is separated from the bottom where the muscles are more exercised. Some people think that is a flavorless cut that’s chewy, but if it’s roasted correctly, it is pure heaven. This cut is know to be more lean, lacks the fatty marbling, and is traditionally used in stews, but it also makes for great sandwich meat when executed properly.

Being from Massachusetts, I grew up on Kelly’s Roast Beef sandwiches. They’re an icon in my home state and I knew I wanted every roast beef sandwich sliced to order like them. So that’s what we do.

Freshly roasted meat, quality ingredients and sliced to order is how we create our roast beef sandwiches and that will never change! Read on to learn how you can roast beef like a pro!

How to Roast Beef like a Pro

Here are a few tricks of the trade that are used to create something super special. A good place to start is with a marinade. This not only flavors the meat but also softens it, which is needed in this type of cut. Next, getting a proper, even sear on all sides is essential in trapping in the juices so that way they don’t end up on the plate when sliced into. (On a side note, make sure to not overcook and aim for medium rare ~145 degrees). Lastly, to reach perfection you should have your oven set high (around 500 degrees) and cook for 4-5 minutes per pound. Just remember: do NOT overcook. And like all meats, allow it to rest for a while and then slice as thin as possible to serve on your bread of choice.

If these few, simple methods are followed accordingly, you will not be disappointed when attempting a fresh roast beef sandwich at home. However, for those of you out there that may feel like this is a bit daunting, please rest assured, we do this everyday and feel pretty confident in our process. So much that we sell three different styles of roast beef sandwiches at our shop, all of which seem pretty tasty to us!

About Earl’s

We’re sandwich nerds who love preparing fresh and unique food for our customers. Twelve years later we still believe in creating sandwiches and other goodies that are homemade—without the hassle for you.

Earl’s now makes sandwiches in Ballston and Clarendon, and each location has its own roasting ovens. We roast all our own turkey, beef and pork.

We cater, too. Nothing fancy, just great sandwich lunches for meetings and office events. Generous portions, along with the drinks and cookies to keep your energy up for that final two hours of the meeting.

Come visit us at Ballston (4215 North Fairfax Drive, right across from the Ballston Metro) or Clarendon (2605 Wilson Boulevard, a five-minute walk from Courthouse Metro).

Ahhh, the aromas of slow roasted pork with vibrant scents of herbs! There are countless methods and variations from countries all over the world that attempt to master such a beautiful thing. Here’s our version of South Philadelphia’s roast pork sandwich.

To truly know the slow roasted pork sandwich, one must first learn a bit of its history. This east coast tradition originated from no other than, you may have guessed it: Italy!  It’s based off of the very traditional Italian dish known as porchetta, which is a suckling pig that has been boned, seasoned with garlic and herbs, and roasted.

According to Wikipedia, “Porchetta was introduced to the United States by Italian immigrants in the early 20th century, especially immigrants from Abruzzo, and is sometimes referred to as “Italian pulled pork,” “roast pork,” or “Italian roast pork.” It is, in many places, served on a sandwich with greens and provolone cheese.”

Of course one may argue as to what makes this sandwich so incredible is the young, tender pork, or the sharp provolone, or maybe the hoagie roll that brings it all together. However, we’re going of offer our own, alternative suggestion: the not so age old process of roasting foods.

Roasting is a cooking method that uses dry heat where hot air envelops the food, cooking it evenly on all sides, which can enhance flavor through caramelization and browning on the surface of the food. Since roasting uses indirect, diffused heat (in an oven), it suitable for slower cooking of meat in a larger, whole piece. Rather than being bogged down by a sauce or stew, roasted meats are meant to be the highlight of the show, which could not be truer in this traditional, South Philly classic.

This is a sandwich whose filling comes from young, tender, fatty pork that is slow cooked, accompanied by a touch of slightly bitter broccoli rabe and wrapped with a slice of sharp, tasty provolone, all of which is served inside a fresh, good ol fashioned hoagie roll.  Hungry yet?  

If you’re in Philly looking for this amazing classic sandwich, we suggest checking out James Beard award winning John’s Roast Pork on the south side, not far from the Delaware River. But if you’re in DC there’s no better place than Earl’s when it comes to classic, traditional techniques paired with inventive sandwich creations (like stuffing our pork sandwich with french fries instead of greens). Come visit us and give it a try!

The humble yet versatile turkey is a key player in the sandwich world and although the average American consumes more than 16 pounds of this meat a year, it only sees annual recognition in late November.  So here’s to a summer celebration of the underrated turkey; without feather….err further ado…(See what we did there?)

To set the record straight – roasting turkey shouldn’t be difficult or fearful. Like most things when preparing and cooking food, there are some steps that shouldn’t be overlooked when seeking culinary perfection.  

Here’s to improving your roasted turkey no matter what time of year.  

Tip #1 

Brine your bird. Why you ask? According to kitchen.com, “Brining is the process of submerging a cut of meat in a brine solution, which is simply salt dissolved in water. The meat absorbs extra liquid and salt, resulting in a juicier and more flavorful final dish.”  

• To kick it up a bit add a variety of herbs and spices to your brine and skip stuffing the bird, which can result in the stuffing stealing the juices and resulting in a dry bird.  

Tip #2

Rub your bird with a generous amount of butter or oil, again the idea is tend end up with something juicy and succulent.  

Tip #3 

Give it a rest. Your scrumptious bird will be ready to remove from heat once internal temps reach 165 F.  However, it should be allowed to rest for 15-20 minutes to lock in all the juices, which will raise the temperature another 5-10 degrees.  Whatever you do though, don’t overcook – that would be a huge party fowl! (We can’t help ourselves!)

This is how we get such juicy, fresh turkey meat for our sandwiches at Earl’s.

Bonus Tip

If you’re ready for the next level in culinary turkey delight then play close attention…  SMOKE IT!  That’s right get out the smoker. Before roasting send the bird to the smoker where it should hang for a few hours at a low temperature (around 250-300) with generous amounts of oak, and if possible about 25% of a fruit wood (apple and cherry are great for this) for added aromas, sweetness, and overall complexity.  Afterwards roast as usual and check somewhat often to make sure that you remove from heat at 165 F.

So, as you can see, we here at Earl’s take our turkey seriously.  Oh yeah, and we have five variations of our own roasted turkey sandwiches you can enjoy year round. We also sell our whole roasted turkeys around Thanksgiving, they sell pretty quickly though, so let us know if you’re interested in one!

Happy roasting!

If you’ve ever tasted a Cuban sandwich, you know how delicious they are. With such an awesome blend of flavors, it’s hard to forget! We’d like to think that we offer the best cuban sandwich in Arlington. Read on to learn what makes ours a little bit unique…

At Earl’s, we love to do things differently…which is why we roast our own meats, make our soups from scratch and bake fresh cookies every day. With this in mind, we thought, “Why not add a little more flavor to a traditional Cuban?” And from that, our Cuban Club was born.

What is a traditional Cuban Sandwich?

A traditional Cuban Sandwich, sometimes called a Cubano, is a Latin variation on a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. This ridiculously delicious sandwich is grilled and made with ham, pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard and Cuban bread. The essential ingredient being the roasted pork.

Notice the Cuban bread part. But, what is Cuban bread? Well, it’s a white bread, similar to French bread and Italian bread, but has an additional ingredient- it often includes a small amount of fat- either lard or vegetable shortening and made in long, baguette-like loaves.

We decided to put our Cuban on sourdough and include one piece in the middle- similar to a Club. Yep, you read that right- it has THREE pieces of bread! Another big difference is that we use Provolone instead of Swiss cheese and add prosciutto for added flavor instead of glazed ham. We also deep-fry our pickles. Why? Because who doesn’t love fried food.  

History of the Cuban Sandwich

Cuban sandwiches were born in Cuba, but became increasingly popular in the United States when Cuban workers moved to Florida to work in the cigar factories. The first reports of a traditional Cuban sandwich were around 1900 in Tampa, Florida.

By the 1960s, Cuban sandwiches had spread to Miami, as the city had gained a large influx of Cuban residents after Fidel Castro’s rise to power in Cuba in 1959. The Communist Revolution caused a wave of Cubans to leave their native land and settle in other locations. Like many ethnic groups, they brought their culture and cuisine with them. And, as they say, the rest is history 🙂 

Earl’s Cuban Club

Can’t make it in to try one? Try making one at home! (It would be really fun if you take a picture of your finished masterpiece and tag us to let us know what you think! @EarlsSandwiches)

• Roasted pork loin
• Prosciutto
• Provolone
• Chipotle mayonnaise
• Honey mustard
• Deep-fried sweet pickle chips
• Stack all ingredients between three pieces of grilled sourdough

About Earl’s

We’re sandwich nerds who love preparing fresh and unique food for our customers. Twelve years later we still believe in creating sandwiches and other goodies that are homemade—without the hassle for you.

Earl’s now makes sandwiches in Ballston and Clarendon, and each location has its own roasting ovens. We roast all our own turkey, beef and pork.

We cater, too. Nothing fancy, just great sandwich lunches for meetings and office events. Generous portions, along with the drinks and cookies to keep your energy up for that final two hours of the meeting.

Come visit us at Ballston (4215 North Fairfax Drive, right across from the Ballston Metro) and Clarendon (2605 Wilson Boulevard, a five-minute walk from Courthouse Metro).

There’s just something about homemade cookies. Perhaps it reminds us of being a kid again or going to grandma’s house or just makes a rainy day seem brighter. But, there’s no denying a homemade cookie will bring a smile to your face.

That’s exactly why we bake our cookies from scratch, every day. It’s such a simple way to create delicious food for our customers. Everyone deserves fresh food and baked goods. From the day we started Earl’s, we had a manifesto:

Sandwiches will be made with freshly roasted fillings, not sliced deli meats. Soups will be hot and homemade (unless they are served cold—but still homemade). Cookies will be baked fresh every day. Breakfast sandwiches should be served all day.

We’ve continued to keep this promise over the last 12 years and have no intention in changing any time soon!

The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 375°F.
• Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in small bowl.
• Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts.
• Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
• Enjoy!

About Earl’s

We’re sandwich nerds who love preparing fresh food for our customers. Twelve years later we still believe in creating sandwiches and other goodies that are homemade—without the hassle for you.

Earl’s now makes sandwiches in Ballston and Clarendon, and each location has its own roasting ovens. We roast all our own turkey, beef and pork.

We cater, too. Nothing fancy, just great sandwich lunches for meetings and office events. Generous portions, along with the drinks and cookies to keep your energy up for that final two hours of the meeting.

Come visit us at Ballston (4215 North Fairfax Drive, right across from the Ballston Metro) and Clarendon (2605 Wilson Boulevard, a five-minute walk from Courthouse Metro).